The University of Padua launches a study on cats to analyze the hypothesis that they do not play an important role in the spread of the virus.
If and how Vo 'Euganeo's cats would become infected with the new coronavirus? Researchers from the University of Padua and the Zooprophylactic Institute of the Venezie will also analyze domestic cats to look for antibodies to the disease and understand if these animals can contract the virus and how they respond.
After swabbing all the inhabitants and becoming a case history all over the world, right here in Vo '- now with zero contagion - the University of Padua starts a study on cats, to analyze the hypothesis according to which animals do not play an important role in the spread of the virus, but they can still contract the disease.
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What the analysis of domestic cats will consist of
A team of four researchers from the University of Padua and a colleague from the Zooprophylactic Institute of the Venezie, under the supervision of the Veterinary Services of the Region, will carry out a test on the blood of cats, to look for antibodies to the disease. Exactly as the universities of Padua and Verona are doing on humans. All this happens after having swabbed the 3300 inhabitants of the Veneto municipality twice.
This will be a voluntary test, which will be accompanied by the use of blood samples taken by veterinarians for other reasons.
"We will carry out blood tests to understand if, in what way and to what extent, the felines of this Municipality, a unique study model, are infected", explains to Ansa Professor Massimo Castagnaro, full professor of veterinary general pathology and head of Research.
Regarding pets and exposure to the virus, there was only one study conducted in Wuhan by veterinarians, who found it in 10% -15% of felines belonging to infected subjects. Now, by looking for antibodies in their blood, we will be able to understand if these animals can contract the virus and how they respond. Castagnaro points out that the researchers know “that the disease passes from man to man, but they want to frame the potential role of the cat. Our hypothesis is that it does not play an important role in the spread of the coronavirus, but that it can instead become infected by being close to a human affected by the disease ".
Let's reiterate it: scientific knowledge to date does not consider pets as potential spreaders of the infection.
Source: Reuters
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